Islanders Deliver Holiday Cheer to Patients at Local Hospitals

When six-year-old Leah met Casey Cizikas, they talked about her love for toy dolls, her pretty pigtail braids and how excited she was for Santa to come this year.

Leah is faced with the challenge of a hospital stay during the holidays this year, but she didn’t have to wait long for presents, as the New York Islanders visited Cohen Children’s Medical Center and other local hospitals to hand deliver gifts on Tuesday afternoon to children and families battling through hard times during the holiday season.

Amazed by the sea of presents in front of her, Leah selected a baby doll and a Barbie doll to add to her collection.

“This is a unique and fun day to give back to kids and fans on Long Island who are having a tough time,” Brock Nelson said. “To be able to spend a couple hours and give them a nice present, it means a lot.”

When the Islanders make their annual rounds, a wave of enthusiasm is sparked among pediatric patients and their families, as well as hospital staff members.

“I heard a couple of comments from the staff upstairs that today was the first time their patient smiled in over a week,” said Faye Hochheiser, Child Life Senior Manager at Northwell Health. “This is a beautiful gift to our patients and families during the holiday season.”

The players were scattered across six local hospitals in the NY Metro Area to hand deliver presents that their wives and girlfriends picked out two weeks prior. Matt Martin, Anders Lee, Scott Mayfield, Robert Bortuzzo, Semyon Varlamov and Ilya Sorokin also played virtual Pictionary at the Seacrest Studios Cohen Children’s as part of their special visit. 

“It’s a great setup here to play Pictionary,” said Martin, who was tasked with drawing a nutcracker. “To spend time with the kids is what matters most to us.” 

Six-year-old Vincent was munching on some Pringles when the Islanders walked in to greet him. 

“I’ll trade you a card for a Pringle,” Cizikas said with a laugh as he handed the boy his autographed player card.

During the special visit, Vincent was with his mother and sister as he picked out an air hockey set. Casey Cizikas, Brock Nelson and Pierre Engvall made sure to each hand Vincent a package of his favorite chips before they left – three different flavors of Pringles – which brought Vincent extra joy to an already heartwarming scene. 

“He gave me a high five,” Nelson said with a smile. 

Waiting all day in excitement for the Islanders to arrive was 13-year-old Alessia. Through lengthy hospital stays and treatment, she watches every Islanders game with her family. 

Her reaction was priceless when the players entered the room and gathered around her hospital bed.  

“They explained that what we do on the ice brings their family together," Cizikas said. "The joy that she had when we walked into the room, her smile lit up the entire room. To see that means a lot.”

During the Islanders playoff run this year back in April, Alessia’s house was one of the stops Islanders Co-Owner Jon Ledecky made when he gifted playoff tickets to families going through hard times. She wasn’t able to make it to Game Four physically, but Ledecky promised her tickets when she’s well enough to be in attendance. 

Now that her circumstances have improved with Alessia’s health, brighter days are ahead. Alessia’s family was able to cash in on Ledecky’s open invitation with over 50 tickets for the game on Feb. 10, when the Islanders host the Calgary Flames at UBS Arena. 

Similar to Alessia and her family, watching sports can provide a positive distraction and outlet for many families going through tough times. For the players, they look forward and enjoy making an impact during this event each year, bringing joy to patients and families.  

"We have smiles on our faces and the [kids] have smiles," Captain Anders Lee said. "If we can bring them a little joy for a few minutes, talk to them and say hello, they're special moments. It's always a day a lot of us look forward to, and it's been a really nice afternoon."